Consolation
by lunastars
Summary: Noun: the comfort received by a person after a loss or disappointment. - The differences between Carol and Shane are infinite but they share one commonality when it comes to two similar situations based on two separate events. - Season 2 & 3 - One-shot


**A/N: **_basically I saw a post on tumblr ages ago talking about how there were more than a couple of times where Shane was nice to Carol. Thinking back it's kind of true. Even if Shane did go a bit crazy he still looked out for people and I couldn't get this little idea out of my head :) I hope you all enjoy!_

**This is set during season 1 and 2.**  
><strong>Of course certain details won't be exactly the same as they were in the show.<strong>

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><p>Shane sat in the dirt by the water, his legs drawn up a little with his arms resting on his knees. He sat there throwing bits of rock and dirt into the water. The attack on the camp had really shaken them. Everything had just been going wrong lately and Shane couldn't understand why. They were doing well, they were surviving but then everything just went downhill. He blamed it on countless things and even certain people but when it came down to it he didn't have the energy.<p>

When things evened out in the camp a little he slipped away to go down to the water. In that moment he really didn't want to be a leader. He just wanted to pretend like nothing had gone wrong and that everything was right in the world. If he could do that for at least a little bit then he would be happy.

"Shane?"

He would have snapped but he couldn't. She wouldn't hurt a fly. He glanced over as Carol sat down in the dirt beside him.

"Everything okay?" he asked her.

She nodded her head. "You?"

"Just wanted to not think about everything," he explained as threw the rest of the dirt from his hands into the water. "Ed was one of them right?"

"He got attacked in the tent." She nodded her head again in that same timid manner.

"I would say sorry but…"

She smiled softly and looked down. "I'm not sorry either."

Shane laughed as he patted her back gently. "I think you'll do alright."

"You think so?"

Shane was pretty sure that he was close to feeling next to nothing but the meek sound of Carol's voice brought something out in him. He shuffled over just to cut the space between them a little.

"Yeah, I think so," he agreed confidently. "You and that little girl of yours are going do just fine."

Carol smiled thankfully at him. "I'm sorry."

"For?" he questioned, not even bothering to hide his confusion.

"Lori." When he stared blankly at her she shrugged. "I'm quiet and weak, not stupid. I know something was going on and I'm guessing that it's over. I understand why it is but I'm still sorry."

"I'm trying not to think about it," he admitted, not bothering to deny the fact.

"Well we're probably going to have to move on from here after what happened," she started, looking as if she was struggling to pick up the courage to say what she wanted to. "It seems now that Sophia and I are a person short. You can travel with us, if you want to?"

He seemed to think about it and after a moment he nodded his head. "Yeah, I might take you up on that."

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><p>Shane wandered over to a quiet part of the farm. He spotted Carol almost instantly. She was away from everyone else but not too far away that she would put herself in serious danger. She was sat down on the ground and began to pick idly at the grass.<p>

When he approached her she looked up at him but didn't say anything. Seen as there had been no objection he sat down on the ground beside her. He wasn't quite sure what to say. Sophia walking out of that barn was something none of them expected to happen. He couldn't even begin to guess how she must be feeling. He hadn't been _that_ close to Sophia and even he felt the pain of her walking out like that.

"I'm sorry," he said gently.

"I had lost hope," she admitted. "Then I got it back again and it turns out I was right to lose hope. She was gone."

"I didn't know she was going to walk out of that barn," Shane said, feeling like he had to explain himself.

Carol nodded her head and it reminded him of that time in the quarry when she had come to check on him. "I know you didn't. I'm glad you opened it up though, because now I know. Not knowing would have been worse I think."

"She was a great kid," Shane said softly.

"The best," Carol mumbled.

When he looked over he realised she was crying. Her body was hunched over and he could just feel the pain radiating off of her. As gently as he could he shuffled over to her and put an arm around her shoulders. She was shaking but eventually she leaned into him a little.

They sat there for a long time. Shane didn't say a word as Carol cried. She cried like every inch of her was broken and he could feel her ache. Even after she couldn't cry anymore they still sat there. Neither of them said a word when they finally did move. It was just a thing and they silently agreed that it would be only theirs.

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><p><em>R&amp;R<em>


End file.
